Piston and connecting rod for internal combustion engine



May 14, 1957 R. M. ICKES 2,791,991

PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed obt. 17, 1955 INVENIOR R.Mfc ices ATTORNEYS United States Patent O PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE R x M. l es, Camp, Hil P Application Octoberfl, 1955, Serial No. 540,750

4 Claims. (Cl. 123-78) This invention pertains to a piston for an internal combustion engine, and more specifically the invention pertains to a piston especially designed to increase the horsepower of any internal combustion engine.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a compound piston for internal combustion engines which at the time of firing creates a concentration of forces on an element of the piston to effect an increase in horsepower delivery.

Another object of this invention is to provide a piston of the typedescribed above wherein atthe time the engine fires an area of reduced pressure is created around the spark plugs thereby enabling the plugs to produce a hotter spark and reducingthe wear on the spark plug points.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a'medial cross-sectional view of an internal combustion engine piston constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the horizontal plane of line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, a conventional internal combustion engine cylinder block, and numeral 12 indicates the conventional engine block in which is mounted a spark plug 14 having the usual points 16, 18. As shown in the drawing the points 16, 18 depend into the upper end of a cylinder 26 having a piston 22 mounted for reciprocation therein.

The piston 22 comprises a cylindrical wall 24 having a pair of vertically spaced, circumferential grooves 26, 28 formed in the outer side thereof adjacent its upper end. Sealing rings 30, 32 are disposed in the grooves 26, 28, respectively, and are formed of conventional material.

A piston head 34 extends across the upper end of the wall 24, and the upper end of the head 34 is seen to have an inverted frusto-conical configuration.

The cylinder head includes an integrally formed, centrally positioned, elongated and cylindrical boss 36 which co-axially depends therefrom in spaced relation with respect to the wall 24. The piston head 34 and its boss 36 are centrally bored to form a second cylinder 38 having an inner extension of reduced diameter forming a spring seat 40 in the end wall 42 of the boss 36. An internally threaded bore 44 extends into the end wall 42 with the outer end thereof in open communication with the spring seat 40. From the drawing it is seen that the piston head 34, boss 36, cylinder 38, spring seat 40, and the bore 44 are all in coaxial alignment with respect to each other, and that the outer end of the cylinder 38 defines the frustum 46 of the upper end of the piston head 34.

provide arms 64,66 apertured at 68, 70, respectively,

which receive therethrough the bushings 55, 56 and wrist pins 58, 60. Theshank 72 of the connecting rod 62 is connected by conventional means (not shown) with the drive shaft of the internal combustion engine.

A second piston .74 is mounted for reciprocation within the second cylinder 38, the second piston including a cylindrical side wall76 and head 73 extending across the upper end thereof. The side wall 76 is formed with a pair of vertically spaced circumferential grooves 80, 82 which receive the rings 84, 86, respectively, therein. The upper end of the head 78 has an inverted conical configuration with the base thereof disposed in the plane of the frustum .46.

An elongated sleeve 88 depends from the head 78 in coaxial spaced relation with respect to the wall 76.

A helicoidal spring-90 is disposed Within the second cylinder'38 and has one of its ends seated in the spring seat 40 while the other end-thereof engages against the under side of the head 78,- and constantly biases the piston 74 for movement out of the cylinder 38.

' The sleeve 88 is mounted for reciprocation on one end of guide post 92 having its threaded otherend 94 threaded into the bore 44. As-is-seen inFigure 1 of the drawing,

the spring 9tt surrounds the -sleeve88 and guide post-92.

The sleeve 88 is providedwith a pair of diametrically opposed elongated slots 96, 98 and receives therethrough a connectorpin 100 which extends through an opening 102 formed in the upper end of the guide post 92. Cotter pin means 164 are utilized to'prevent inadvertent orac- On the compression stroke, the piston 74 remains in the position shown in Figure 1 until the gas pressure between the adjacent surfaces of the pistons 22, 74 and head 12 is greater than the resistance of the spring 90. At this point piston 74 moves inwardly of the piston 22 and is forced against the annular shoulder 106, and the piston 74 remains in this depressed position.

The depression of the piston 74 creates a cavity in the cylinder 38 which is filled with the fuel under pressure and, in effect, shapes a fuel charge which, on the firing stroke increases the force of the explosion and transmits this increased force through the piston 22 and piston rod 62 to the crankshaft.

On the exhaust stroke, when the exhaust valve (not shown) opens, the pressure within the cylinder 20 is reduced, and the piston 74 returns to the position shown in Figure 1.

It will be recognized that with a piston so constructed wherein a greater vector of forces is concentrated on the piston 74, the increased force generated thereby will be accompanied with an area of reduced pressure around the points 16, 18 thereby allowing the spark plug 14 to produce a hotter spark and reduces the Wear on the points.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention in detail, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A piston for an internal combustion engine comprising a cylindrical main body portion having a head extending across an end thereof, a boss integrally formed with said head and projecting therefrom within said main body portion, said head and boss having a continuous bore extending therethrough terminating Within said boss in a bore of reduced diameter, a piston mounted for reciprocation within said bore, said last named piston having an axial bore therein of a diameter substantially equal to that of the reduced diameter portion of the continuous bore in said boss, a coil spring having one end thereof seated in the bore in said last named piston and the other end thereof seated in the reduced diameter portion of said continuous bore, said spring biasing said last piston for movement outwardly of said bore, and means limiting the said outward movement of said last piston.

2. A piston for an internal combustion engine comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical member, a piston head extending across one end of said member, said head having an elongated boss depending therefrom and disposed in spaced relation relative to said member, said head and boss having a centrally positioned bore extending therethrough, a second cylindrical member mounted for reciprocation within said bore, a head extending transversely across one end of said cylindrical member, a sleeve having an end thereof integrally connected with said last named head and depending therefrom in spaced relationship with respect to said second cylindrical member, said sleeve having an elongated slot formed therein, a guide rod fixedly secured within said boss and projecting Within said bore, said sleeve being telescopically mounted over said guide rod, means con- 4 meeting said rod and said sleeve for reciprocal movement relative to each other, resilient means disposed within said bore and having an end thereof engaging against said second head, and means connected With said boss and said first cylindrical member for connecting said first cylindrical member with the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine.

3. A piston as defined in claim 2, said first piston head having a substantially inverted frusto-conical configuration, and said second piston having an upper end thereof provided with an inverted substantially conical configuration.

4. A piston for an internal combustion engine comprising a cylindrical member having a piston head extending across an end thereof, an integrally formed boss depending from said head and being coaxial therewith, said head and said boss having an axially extending bore formed therein, a cylindrical member mounted for reciprocation within said bore, a piston head extending across one end of said second cylindrical member, means constantly biasing said second piston head for movement out of said bore, an elongated sleeve having an end thereof integrally formed with said second piston head and depending therefrom in spaced relation relative to said second cylindrical member, a guide rod fixedly secured to said boss and extending into said bore, said sleeve being telescoped over said rod for reciprocation thereon, means releasably securing said sleeve to said rod, a pair of oppositely disposed recesses formed in said boss, a pair of apertures formed in said first side member, said recesses and said apertures being coaxially aligned, a piston rod having a bifurcated end, each arm of said bifurcated end having an opening formed therein and adapted to register with said recesses and said openings formed in said boss and said first side member, a pair of Wrist pins extending through said aligned openings and recesses, and means connecting the other end of said connecting rod with the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,033,760 Hutchinson July 23, 1912 2,040,032 Steele et al. May 5, 1936 2,170,266 Leissner Aug. 22, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 419,982 Germany Oct. 12, 1925 

